Casey expects Liberal nomination to be contested

SPRINGHILL (TC Media) — The man hoping to secure the local federal Liberal nomination and unseat the Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley incumbent has a few fights in his future.

Former veteran MP Bill Casey will kick off his candidacy for the Liberal nomination in Cumberland Colchester with a meet and greet on Dec. 9 at the Wandlyn Inn.

Former Progressive Conservative and, later, independent MP Bill Casey is hoping to make a successful return to politics as part of a new Liberal government under party leader Justin Trudeau, but first he must secure the local Liberal nomination and its expected at least two other candidates will contest the nomination.

In a press release to the media, Casey’s camp acknowledges the expected contestation and welcomes an “open and democratic nomination process,” saying it would be an honour to represent the Liberal party and the Cumberland-Colchester riding in Ottawa once again as an MP.

In that spirit, Casey is holding a meet-and-greet January 13, from 6-8 p.m. at the Springhill Legion, to share his ideas on issues like parliamentary reform, economic development, and leadership with residents of the constituency. He will also be seeing input from voters on issues they believe should be priorities for the next government.

“There are several reasons from my interest in re-entering politics, but the issue that has motivated me to act now is that I want to add my voice to those credible people who are raising the alarm about the declining state of our parliamentary system,” Case said in the release.

Casey said he is particularly concerned by the continued outmigration of young people to Western Canada to seek employment.

“It’s obvious this government has no economic development plan for Atlantic Canada.”

Casey says he is also a string proponent for renewable energy, and one of the key components of the next federal election will be leadership, specifically Trudeau’s ability to lead the nation, which Casey says is more than ready and the only leader attuned to the needs of Atlantic Canada

If Casey secures the Liberal nomination, it will send him on a collision course at the polls with incumbent MP Scott Armstrong, who entered politics after Casey retired in 2009.

Armstrong had managed Casey’s successful election campaigns with the Tories in 2000 and 2004, and co-managed Casey’s successful 2006 run before Casey ran and won as an Independent in 2008. Armstrong served as Casey’s campaign manager then, too.

Casey retired from politics six months later to accept a job from the Nova Scotia government as the provincial Department of Intergovernmental Affairs senior representative in Ottawa, a job offered to him by former-Premier Rodney MacDonald.